Monday Morning

This morning we awoke to a foggy winter morning, now fog is not something we get a lot of in this area of New Zealand. I turned on the Heat Pumps and what joy instant heat, we are still awaiting removal of the wood burner.
The weekend gave us some really heavy showers, but Eric managed to get a fair bit of winter tidying done in the garden between showers, it was so sad to see the final remaining Dahlias cut down, but there does come a point where they have to go and yesterday was it.
Offically winter has not started yet ...but the daffodils are through the ground and some hyacinths as well, the fressias are also doing well, we still have strawberries but they are not turning red so fast now, we also have orchids sprouting new shoots.

I managed to do some sewing over the weekend and also tidy the sewing room.
Stumpwork name badge

I have finally finished a new name badge, this must be about the 3rd or 4th badge I have made, for some reason unknown to myself or why I manage to do it, they end up in the washing machine and that really does not do them a lot of good.

Vintage Pin cushion Pattern

A few people have mentioned the pin cushion, where was it from and by who?

So for all those folks:

Vintage Sewing Cushion by Debbie Magee of Always Stitchin

available from http://www.quiltersangel.com.au/

Enjoyable but hectic few days

Saturday saw us at our Niece's engagement lunch, just a small affair for older members of the family, a party was also organised for the friends and younger relations in the evening with a theme of "under the water" so everyone would be wearing fancy dress and it was also a sleep over, now a few years ago this would have been our scene but now...No! don't think so.

Steve came along with Ben and Alex as Kathryn was working, and this is a shot of Alex holding Grandads beer, he looks as though he is a seasoned drinker but I think the chocolate cake gives his age away.

After leaving the lunch we called into the Danske Moblier shop to look at furniture, we saw some great pieces, for when the fire gets taken out ( still awaiting a good day so the men can get on the roof to remove the chimney) we will have space for new furniture, we are trying to decide what we would like, may be a "Welsh Dresser "as we would call it, would be nice, (a hutch to Kiwi's )this is one we really liked at the showroom, but until we see the space we have it is just looking at present.

From Hamilton we took off for Auckland, where we stayed in a motel over night ready to take off to Brisbane Australia next day. Eric was there for a little work and also a break after a bit of a trying few weeks health wise. While he was working I did the tourist bit, but before the real sightseeing I took off to a quilt shop The Patchwork Tree in Alderly

a great little shop housed in a turn of the century house, they stocked most things but definitely was into Moda fabrics from USA, I did not really see anything that we can not get here, may be a few different fabrics, so I just spent a while there and came away with a Moda charm pack .

"Flag Day Farm"

I managed a little retail therapy and stopped at a beautiful tearooms

Keri Craig's in the Brisbane Arcade, it was so lovely, the theme was "feminine" every thing was covered in flowers and roses mainly, the china was white and good quality. The prices matched the decor but even so we had tea there, a real "treat Place" only a now and again visit would be on the cards.

We then took a trip on the river and saw Bribane from the boat very interesting and gave you a different view.

We were wined and dined by the company Eric had been to see, on 2 evenings.

Then all to fast came Wednesday and this saw us back on the plane heading home.

So a very hectic 5 days in all but most enjoyable.

Very small projects

My posts today have been about small projects, I think in fact I enjoy small projects as seen before in previous posts

There is a lovely lady at Embroidery guild who never wastes a scrap of embroidery linen, it is so expensive $ 150 a yard in most cases and more for certain types, she will work with a scrap 2 inches by 2 inches, producing scissor fobs.

I have been fascinated by this and decided to be frugal as well so I now quite often use up my scraps doing the same, here is this weeks fob, I am not sure how many I have made in the years.

I usually use pulled thread stitches and hardanger stitches.

Next project

I have seen the pattern of this "giant pincushion" around for quite a while now and have admired it from a far. One of our friends at Friday sewing is going to start the project so we have decided to do it also. Now armed with the pattern I have chosen the fabrics, I have gone away from the pink and gone for blues and creams, although the true colours have not reproduced well in the photo.

A small project, Japanese folded needle purse

My friend Mhairi and I like to look at patchwork magazines seeing all the different ideas, dreaming of reproducing them ourselves, of course most really are in our dreams.
Every now and then we see a project and say "Yes ! lets try that" We found this folded purse in an old magazine.


Mhairi did hers first and bought it along to show me, so I spent an hour or so doing my rendition of the same thing, it has got to be one of the easiest things I have made, of course the magazine instructions left a little to be desired as normal, but once you got into the swing following line by line it all worked out. As you can see from the diagram below it is just 3 folds after you have made up the main fabric sandwich.
Made up in Japanese materials it looks really neat, it also has a small needle case that fits inside but so far I have not made these. I also got a bit carried away and made 3 of them.

Autumn in Rotorua

Autumn has been beautiful this year we have an abundance of olives on the tree, not sure what we will do with them if anything, am open to suggestions.

A lovely flower has bloomed in the garden I have no idea of its name, and we only have the one, it looks like a bulb... answers please.

We are still picking strawberries and the season should have been over 2 or even 3 months ago Okay, it is only 1 or 2 a day but in Northern hemisphere terms we are in October / November.

There are Geraniums flowering and the Fressia's are at least a couple of months ahead of them selves.

Talk about a topsy turvey garden

Street painter

I just had to share this with everyone, these photographs were sent to me.
These are street paintings where the chap paints on the pavement or road, normally in pastels so they will be washed away.
I believe these were done in Netherlands, the painter said the street just lent its self to the subject.



This next one was painted by the sea some where in UK, I believe.